Mobile devices operable in various wireless networks, such as a cellular phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA), are being provided with a larger memory, a stronger and faster processor, smaller size, and with an increasing number of data services that can be performed thereby, such as messaging, e-mail transmission, and gaming.
The computing power of mobile devices is steadily increasing. PDAs are being replaced by smart mobile phones and many analysts predict that in the near future, smart mobile devices will perform many of the functions currently performed by laptop computers. Such a transition has been spurred by stronger and faster central processing units, larger memory, more sophisticated and capable operating systems, new generations of wireless network infrastructures including UMTS/HSDPA and EV-DO WiFi/WiMax, and an increasing penetration rate of data services such as messaging, e-mail, and gaming, despite restrictions of mobility, namely size, weight and battery life.
The size of mobile devices will continue to be limited by the size of the human palm. Thus the majority of mobile devices use the traditional phone keypad, which is inadequate for new smart mobile devices and the corresponding applications. A more efficient alphanumeric input would therefore be desirable.
As the keys, which are pressed during the performance of data services, are becoming smaller in size, the writing of textual messages therewith is becoming a more time consuming process. Due to their small size, each character is not readily visible. Alternatively, if the keys are configured such that each character is visible, the keyboard size is excessively large. Also, the needed time for writing a textual message is increased with respect to interactive instant messaging whereby participants view an accumulative record of a discussion and a display of a message as it is being written in real-time. Since a numeral and a plurality of letters generally appear on each of the prior art keys, three or more clicking operations are needed to select which character appearing on the key is desired to be entered into the text. A delay in entering a character during a clicking operation is interpreted as the completion of the previous character selection, and a subsequent click will display an additional character, which may need to be erased if the delay in clicking was excessive. Due to these disadvantages, the use of a mobile device keypad has generally been limited to the transmission of Short Message Service (SMS) messages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,506 discloses a keypad with multiple indicia sets by which the composite interlaced image is varied for each separate key by tilting the device. Each separate key of the keypad in this patent suffers from the drawback that the composite image consists of a plurality of images which are fixed both in size and relative location. Consequently, a new array of keys or a different surface area of a key is not possible. Due to the orientation of the tilted device, an image may not be comfortably viewed, or alternatively, if the image is comfortably viewed, the resolution thereof will be compromised, particularly when entering textual characters.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a variably displayable mobile device keyboard.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a variably displayable keyboard in which, for example, all keys display letters in one mode and in another mode, all keys display numerals.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a variably displayable keyboard in which the displayed surface area of the keys can be changed.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a keyboard display which displays a stable image of key arrangement.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a keyboard display that is an integral part of the mobile device.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a keyboard with low power consumption.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a keyboard of relatively low cost.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a keyboard that does not add to the size or weight of the mobile device.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a keyboard that may be comfortably viewed.
It is yet an additional object of the present invention to provide a fashionable variably displayable key or keyboard display configuration, the shape and color of which will not restrict look design.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.